1. Collect and use business requirements
-Business use cases and justification
-User requirements
-Regulatory compliance
-Industry compliance

2. Collect, define, and use technical requirements
-Location services such as RTLS
-Latency requirements
-Signal strength requirements
-Capacity requirements
-Security requirements

• BYOD and guest access
• Roaming
• Monitoring
• Authentication and encryption

-Discover applications and their specific requirements
-Discover WLAN upgrade requirements when applicable
-Define bridge link requirements when applicable
-Voice over WLAN (VoWLAN) Requirements
-Identify client devices including most Important and least capable device
-Requirement Areas

3. Identify design constraints
-Regulatory compliance
-Aesthetics
-Budget
-Architectural constraints
-Mounting restrictions
-Access restrictions
-Vendor selection
-Time constraints
-Building codes and safety codes

4. Collect, use, and deliver essential documents where applicable
-Validated floorplans
-Network diagrams
-Existing AP locations
-Network closet locations
-Existing cabling standards
-Existing cable drop locations
-Switch capabilities and capacity
-Existing network services including DNS, DHCP, NTP and authentication servers
-PoE capabilities and power budget
-Existing wireless system data
-Previous design/survey documentation
-Site survey deliverables

5. Define requirement areas including essential metrics for each requirement
-Capacity
-Client device types
-Applications and their requirements
-SSIDs and WLAN profiles
-Security settings
-Understand the various issues introduced by common vertical markets such as healthcare, education, retail, hospitality, high-density scenarios, public hotspots and outdoor networks

6. Implement effective project management
-Statement of Work (SoW)
-Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)
-Project plans
-Resource management
-Role definition

1. Define WLAN architectures and select the appropriate architecture for a design
-Controller-based (physical and virtual controllers)
-Distributed (cloud-based and local WNMS)
-Standalone/Autonomous APs
-Dynamic vs. static channel assignment
-Dynamic radio management
-Software defined radio
-RF profiles
-Select and/or recommend the appropriate equipment for the design (APs, antennas, controllers, managed services)

2. Produce a design and communicate with appropriate individuals related to the design
-Use WLAN design software including the common features found in the solutions provided by various vendors

• Import and calibrate floor plans
• Set project parameters
• Select and place APs and antennas manually or using automated placement tools and define configuration parameters
• Adjust AP settings to accommodate design requirements
• Define appropriate requirements areas using software features
• Define channel plans (MCA or SCA, channel widths, frequency bands, output power levels, DFS and TPC requirements) including solutions for CCI, adjacent channel interference (ACI), non-overlapping ACI, and non-802.11 interferers within regulatory constraints
• Document cabling requirements

-Select and use appropriate tools for a design project

• Site survey hardware (camera, marking tools, spare batteries, survey trays, 2-way radios, USB adapters, USB hubs, external antennas)
• Distance measuring tools (laser measure, tape measure, measuring wheel, angle finder, mapping software)
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (hardhat, steel-toe shoes, glasses, gloves, clean suits, masks, high visibility clothing)
• Use WLAN analysis tools for appropriate use cases in WLAN design (spectrum analyzer, protocol analyzer, scanner/discovery tools, cable testers)
• Use performance measurement tools to assist in WLAN design (throughput testers, QoS assessment, network functionality)
• Perform client measurements and analysis to determine client capabilities (received signal measurements, roaming behavior, QoS capabilities)
• Gather attenuation measurements for building materials and objects
• Understand the differences between AP-on-a-Stick surveys and predictive modeling software and select the appropriate solution between them for a design project

-Perform a pre-design site survey when required

• Select and perform the appropriate type of site survey (manual active, manual passive, AP-on-a-Stick)
• Use the appropriate site survey tools during the survey
• Gain appropriate access and clearance to perform the survey
• Document metrics and other information collected during the survey (RSSI, SNR, noise floor, interference, cell coverage, application and connectivity data such as data rates, latency, loss, and retries)
• Perform survey procedures for bridge links when required

-Design special WLAN deployments, including branch and remote offices, mesh networks, and bridge links
-Select among common vendor features and make configuration recommendations in a design scenario (band steering, automatic channel selection, load balancing, VLAN configuration)
-Design for different client and application types and the constraints they introduce (tablets, barcode scanners, VoIP handsets, laptops, ID badges, location tracking systems, voice and video)
-Ensure proper end-to-end QoS is understood and implemented including WMM, wired QoS, QoS markings and queues
-Define and recommend proper security solutions in the design including monitoring, authentication servers, EAP methods, authentication, and encryption
-Design for secure roaming including 802.11-2016 FT roaming, SCA roaming, vendor roaming solutions, and client support issues

3. Create, distribute, and communicate design documentation
-Bill of Materials (BoM)
-Design report
-Physical installation guide

1. Perform an RF validation survey
-Ensure coverage requirements
-Ensure capacity requirements
-Evaluate CCI impact

2. Perform client performance testing
-Application testing
-Roaming testing
-Connectivity testing

3. Recommend and/or perform appropriate physical adjustments
-AP locations
-Antenna locations

4. Recommend and/or perform appropriate configuration adjustments
-Transmitter RF output power
-RF channel selection
-RF channel bandwidth

5. Select remediation solutions for problems discovered during post-validation
-RF coverage problems
-Capacity problems
-QoS problems
-Security configuration errors
-Client connectivity issues
-Resolve interference issues

6. Implement knowledge transfer and hand-off
-End user training
-Support staff training
-Solution documentation and assets (digital or physical assets, guides, floorplans, configuration documents)
-Final meeting (Q&A and hand-off)

1. Ensure proper understanding and implementation of design documentation
-Implementation meeting (explain design decisions to implementers and ensure understanding of design deployment)
-Distribute documents to appropriate individuals
-Select qualified implementation technicians when required

2. Perform validation and optimization tasks during deployment
-Verify proper AP installation location
-Verify PoE provisioning requirements are met
-Verify channel selections and output power
-Verify aesthetic requirements are met
-Verify proper security configuration

3. Recommend or perform essential deployment tasks
-Understand and perform installation procedures for different WLAN architectures (cloud-based, controller-based, WNMS, autonomous)
-Infrastructure configuration supporting the WLAN (DHCP, DNS, NTP, switches and routers)
-Channel assignment, automatic radio management, and output power configuration
-Installation procedures for cloud-based APs, controller-based APs, WNMS APs, and autonomous APs